CHAPTER 22

Original (Published in "Lun's World"): 2004-10-01

Rewritten: 2025-07-02

Only when we knew that Lunlun was eligible for government services after adulthood did we feel relieved.

After a round of application procedures, I sent a nearly 20-page assessment application form filled out by my family doctor to the Ministry of Human Resources of the provincial government. At the end of August, I received a reply from the provincial government, informing me that Lun had successfully obtained the status of a disabled person. From the age of 18, in addition to receiving a monthly living allowance from the government, he can also receive drug allowances, dental allowances, and government-paid medical insurance, etc. I immediately let go of a heavy burden and felt much more relaxed.

Parents who take care of their disabled children are actually worried about who will take care of them when they grow old. They often believe that outsiders do not love their children as much as their parents do, and it is inevitable that they will abuse them in the process.

A few years ago, an incident that shocked the overseas Chinese community occurred in Hong Kong. A mentally retarded teenager, Yu Wenhan, was repeatedly mistaken by the staff of the Hong Kong Immigration Department as a mainland Chinese. He was assumed to have illegally resided in Hong Kong and was “returned” to Shenzhen. As a result, he disappeared in both China and Hong Kong and has not been found since then.

This tragedy best highlights the biggest fear of parents of disabled children, that is, disabled children are unable to take care of themselves and cannot communicate with others, and misunderstandings often occur, endangering their safety. As long as the people around them are slightly negligent and manipulate them randomly, they will be at a loss, have accidents, or even disappear from the face of the earth.

Whenever Lun returns home from school, we can't help but worry. For many years, the school bus and taxi were often late. In some cases, without seeing the parents they let Lun get off at a distance. He didn't know how to use tools such as doorbells, door keys, and intercoms. Even if he didn't get lost, he couldn't get into the apartment.

My wife and I often break out in a sweat and our hearts race because of these human errors. When we think that he might have gotten off the bus somewhere and lost his way, or walked out onto the road randomly and had an accident, our hearts sink, and we are both terrified and puzzled.

When we knew that Lun’s living expenses were guaranteed, and his intelligence assessment confirmed that he was eligible for the services of the Adult Group of the Community Living Bureau, we felt relieved. Because since then, Lun has been taken care of by two government departments, and his daily life, diet, life skills training, and accommodation have all been arranged. Even if something happens to me and I can’t take care of him, my wife and Lun's younger brother don’t have to worry because the government will take care of him.

My wife and I joked that Lun has “private money” to buy his favorite food, toys, and computer games. This time, Lun has become a small rich man. In fact, the monthly income is only a few hundred Canadian dollars, but even if I lose my job, Lun’s life is guaranteed.

Of course, we still need to continue to take care of him and handle a lot of affairs in the future, but after the government became Lun’s backer, we can finally let go. We can sit back and plan how to spend the rest of our lives. My younger son is just 12 years old and has entered puberty. It’s time to start paying more attention to his development.